Eleven days lat­er I was back at the Old Church and Pub to cel­e­brate their fifth birthday. And as often is the case at McMenamins, they were of­fer­ing a special just-​for-​fun Passport stamp for the occasion.

But first I had to actually get there. Usu­al­ly the trip from Albany to Wilsonville is a one-​hour drive north on the I-5. An hour before I was to leave I received the following alert:

“All northbound lanes of I-5 are closed about seven miles north of Albany (mile­post 242-243) following two separate crashes. One crash has involved a jack-​knifed semi and U-Haul truck. There were injuries and at least 200 gallons diesel has spilled on the road. Traffic is backed up for almost 15 miles. Traffic is being detoured off I-5 at the North Jef­fer­son exit. Northbound lanes will be closed until tow trucks remove the ve­hi­cles and road is cleaned up. Travelers should avoid the area, use an alternative route or expect long delays.”

Sheesh! So much for imagining I could quickly and easily pop up to Mc­Men­a­mins in Wilsonville!

Rather than the normal 20-​mile drive up the I-5 from Albany to Salem, I had to take backroads to Stayton, then Oregon Route 22 to Salem, which added 16 miles and 35 minutes to the trip.

But things were not smooth sailing once I got to Salem. The remaining 30 miles to Wilsonville had a lot of traffic, which was tiring to drive through. Eventually I pulled into the Mc­Men­a­mins Old Church and Pub parking, after an hour and 35 minutes on the road, safe and sound — for which I can be grateful.

Next I stopped by the Undercroft Bar, right next to the brewery in the same basement. This day was its grand open­ing, and they had brewed a special beer just for the occasion. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of my pint of Confessional Kölsch ... but more on that later. At least I got the new non-​required lo­ca­tion stamp.

Time for some food! Once I was seated in the restaurant I perused the pos­si­bil­i­ties on the menu.

I also took some time to look around. The photo to the right show the view from my table of the open space above the bar in the center of the two-​story restaurant.

The Hammerhead BBQ Ribs, a special dish for the party, sounded both in­trigu­ing and a bit scary. According to the menu, it consisted of “a half-rack of house-​smoked baby back ribs with Ham­mer­head / Dr Pepper BBQ sauce, served with cole slaw, beans and napkins.”

I skipped the beans because I don’t like them. Dr Pepper in the barbecue sauce sounded pretty weird, but the ribs were actually quite tasty.

I washed down the Dr Pepper ribs with a pint of seasonal Copper Moon ale, which I had enjoyed elsewhere a couple of times before — definitely one of my McMenamins favorites. According to the brewer:

“Copper Moon has a coppery-orange luminescence radiating out of the pint glass, originating from three different organic malts that impart a flavorful yet summery smooth sweetness that quenches your thirst while tantalizing your taste buds. The up­front hop bitterness of Copper Moon is relatively low, com­ple­ment­ing the malts without being overpowering. The hop flavor and aroma are another matter, as the Perle and Chinook hops used in the latter stages of each batch intermingle to generate a dazzling, citrusy,floral experience, in addition to slightly spicy notes. All of these qualities blend into a refreshing, flavorful organic summer pale ale.”Meas­ure­ments: 5% ABV • 44 IBU

Satisfied with food and drink, and cooled by the air-​conditioning, I headed back outside. I found a place on the am­phi­the­a­ter seating to watch and listen to The Stevens Hess Band perform in the shad­ow of the old church, just outside the Undercroft Bar.

I couldn’t decide which kind of cake to have, so I asked for a small slice of each: Terminator Stout chocolate cake and car­rot cake. Both were truly scrump­tious, and on the blue plate and table cloth, photogenic as well!

I was going to do the Discovery Hunt but it was too hot for me, so I left around 6:15.

Before heading home I drove south half a mile along Boones Ferry Road to the Willamette River and the site of the historic (founded 1847) Boones Ferry.

My historical curiosity satisfied, I turned around to make the one-​hour drive back to Albany.

The Confessional Kölsch beer I had enjoyed earlier was so good that I got a whole growler for a special birthday (theirs, not mine!) price of $8. I had this growler — with the McMenamins Copper Moon ale logo — filled at the Undercroft Bar.

I took the photo to the right, as well as the next two, at home.

After generous pour of the growler into a 21 oz. glass, I took this beauty shot of the Confessional Kölsch. According to the brewer:

“Brewed in honor of the Old Church’s birthday, Confessional Kölsch boasts a lightmaltbody, a mild hop spice and drygrainyfinish. Great by itself or paired with your favorite entrée or appetizer, this light refreshing ale is a great alternative for those seeking the light color of a domestic lager with the flavor and richness of a craft brew. It’s not a sin to like something light, so go ahead and confess your love of thirst-​quenching and crisp beer with a pint of Confessional Kölsch!” Meas­ure­ments: 5.3% ABV • 28 IBU

My notes from that day read: “Really good ... nice taste, and not watery at all.

A bottle of McMenamins Aval Pota apple-​flavored whiskey I bought as I was leaving the restaurant.

It’s not so great straight, but it is really good mixed with apple juice, hot or cold, and as a topping on vanilla ice cream.